UditVani, Jamshedpur : Fear returned to West Singhbhum’s dense Saranda forest once again on Tuesday after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast injured a young tribal girl in a remote village.
According to police sources, the incident took place in a forested stretch between Kiriburu and Tonto areas, where the child reportedly stepped on a pressure IED planted beneath a forest trail. The blast caused serious injuries to her leg. She was immediately rescued by local villagers and rushed to Chaibasa Sadar Hospital, where her condition is said to be stable.
Security officials suspect that the Maoist ultras had planted the IED targeting patrolling security forces engaged in anti-insurgency operations in the region. “The IED was meant to harm our jawans, but unfortunately, a civilian got trapped in it. Search and de-mining operations have been intensified in the area,” said a senior police officer from Chaibasa.
The explosion has triggered panic among villagers in the Saranda forest belt—an area that has witnessed multiple IED-related incidents over the past months. Locals have appealed to the administration to ensure proper combing operations and to mark unsafe zones to prevent further civilian casualties.
Police teams from Kiriburu, Tonto, and Goelkera have been deployed for area sanitization and investigation.
Authorities have once again urged villagers not to venture into forested areas without prior intimation to security personnel, as Maoist groups continue to use IEDs as traps against security movement in the region.
The district administration has assured that the injured girl’s treatment will be provided free of cost and that compensation will be extended to her family as per government norms.
